


Easy Silence

by paradis



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-08
Updated: 2012-09-08
Packaged: 2017-11-13 20:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/507333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paradis/pseuds/paradis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's in the way that he creates this silence, this barrier between Derek and the world, protecting him and reassuring him, that Derek knows Stiles loves him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Easy Silence

**Author's Note:**

> This little ficlet was seriously born out of the song "Easy Silence," from the Dixie Chicks, because it came across my iPod and I completely got inspired. It was written in about fifteen minutes, and a million thanks to my beta mirajanescarlet for looking over it to make sure that at three in the morning, I didn't write something completely incomprehensible. 
> 
> For your listening experience (because I seriously recommend listening to it while you read!): [Easy Silence - Dixie Chicks](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toFudqdohGs)
> 
> Also, if anyone's interested, [my tumblr](http://korynnvictoria.tumblr.com/) link is right here! Come follow me, and of course I'll follow back! :)

Stiles is never quiet. Except when he is. This thing with Stiles, Derek knows, works because Stiles _knows_ Derek. He knows when Derek is close to the edge, just about to tip over and lose everything. He can judge the difference between looks of affection and looks of anger. He knows which tones Derek uses when he's angry, nervous, frustrated, or happy. He can tell when Derek's hand twitches just that much, that he needs to pull him away for a moment to _breathe._

When the world gets to be too much, Stiles is there. He's right there, Derek's to lean on, to hold, to have reassure him that things will work out, that they will be okay, they will make it through this.

When Derek needs silence, that's when Stiles is the most supportive.

These days, there is so much _noise_ surrounding Derek. There is the pack, arguing and laughing. There is Stiles, talking about his day. There is traffic right outside his new apartment, his new boss chattering in his ear about deadlines and new appointments. There are children laughing down the street at the park, teenagers burning through their summer vacation, swearing and stumbling outside his apartment window.

Derek isn't used to noise. He's used to silence, to being alone and quiet; a man of few words and little noise. Stiles seems to understand this.

When Derek comes back to their apartment after a long day at work, Stiles will be sitting on the couch reading a book, probably for his college mythology class. He'll look up, see the look on Derek's face, and go back to his book again. The only difference is that he's shifted on the couch, making room for Derek to be tucked into his side.

He never says a word.

When Derek is tired of fighting with his betas, when he's exhausted and hurting from his training sessions (because his pack is getting _good_ ), Stiles never says a word as he drags them back to their place, sits Derek at the table and hands him a beer. He'll sit down at the table across from him, drag the newspaper out, and flip to the sports pages, tangling his feet with Derek's underneath the table as he starts reading. Derek will drink his beer and pick at the label, thinking and clearing his head.

Stiles never even hums under his breath.

When Derek is injured, Stiles will clean him up and let him (figuratively) lick his wounds, while Stiles lies curled up around him on the bed. He will trace his fingers over the newest, already healing wound, kiss it now and then, but he lets Derek stew over what he could have done differently, whether he could have moved to the left a little faster, or rolled to the right a little later.

Stiles never tells him he did his best, but it's there in the silence, strong and reassuring.

When a date rolls around, a birthday or an anniversary, something that Derek tries so hard to forget, but try as he might, will _never_ forget (because they were his family first, and no matter how much he loves Stiles, he'll never replace the ache inside Derek when it comes to them), and Derek is quiet and brooding and hurting, Stiles sits across the room from him and reads his textbooks and doesn't say anything when Derek maybe lets a few tears slip. Instead he'll cross the room, and wrap his arms around Derek's shoulders, and hold him close while he sniffles a little.

Stiles never apologizes like most people for the death of Derek's family.

There are so many things in the world that are loud and screaming, right in Derek's face. Sometimes Stiles is one of those things. Sometimes Stiles talks and talks, because he _needs_ to (it's the way he expresses most of his emotions best), and all the time, Derek listens. Sometimes the world drives him crazy, with children wanting to grow up and get away from their families so eagerly, so fast (Derek just wants to tell them to appreciate them).

Sometimes there are good days, amazing days, when Derek meets his deadlines at work, and smiles at the stranger on the street who looks like she might be afraid of the world hurting her (he wants to tell her it gets better). Sometimes he thinks about Stiles and how much his mom would've loved him, how much Laura would've gotten along with him (how they would've teamed up in a snark fest against him) and it hurts but it's a _good_ ache.

Sometimes there are bad days, days that Derek isn't sure he'll make it out of, because the world is so noisy and angry and hard (so fucking hard to get through), and he comes home to Stiles. And Stiles doesn't need to say anything, he just takes one look at Derek and snaps his mouth closed, and lets comfort float through the room in _silence._

It's in the way that he creates this silence, this barrier between Derek and the world, protecting him and reassuring him, that Derek knows Stiles loves him, will do anything to make sure he doesn't hurt. It's in the way that he doesn't have to say anything in these moments, just has to be there, that Derek knows they'll be okay.

It's the easy silence that Stiles creates, and it's perfect.


End file.
